Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Life for Shooting Pregnant Girlfriend 11 Times

Justin Smith, 28, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Dianna Brice, who was 14 weeks pregnant. A judge sentenced him to life in prison.

Pennsylvania Jury Rejects "Accidental" Shooting Defense in Death of Pregnant Woman

Law & Crime reports that a Pennsylvania jury has convicted Justin Smith, 28, of first-degree murder in the killing of his 21-year-old pregnant girlfriend, Dianna Brice — rejecting his claim that the gun discharged by accident during a struggle.

A judge sentenced Smith to life in prison. He was also convicted of abuse of a corpse and arson, according to court records.

Brice, who was 14 weeks pregnant at the time of her death, was reported missing on April 2, 2021, from her home in Upper Darby, near Philadelphia. Authorities determined she was last seen with Smith outside a laundromat in nearby Yeadon. Within hours of her disappearance being announced, Philadelphia firefighters located her torched car — but neither Brice nor Smith was found.

Approximately a week later, police discovered her body in a wooded area in southwest Philadelphia. Smith was immediately identified as a person of interest but was not arrested until last year, when officers stopped him during a traffic stop in Atlanta, Georgia.

A medical examiner testified that Smith shot Brice 11 times in the right temple and once in the shoulder, according to a courtroom report by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The shooting followed an argument in which Brice accused Smith of giving her herpes.

Smith took the stand in his own defense and told jurors that a "switch" had been affixed to the gun, causing the rounds to fire rapidly during a struggle. "It went off, and she died," he reportedly said.

Prosecutors challenged that account, pointing out that Smith did not seek help after the shooting. Instead, he and an accomplice set Brice's car on fire and disposed of her body. Smith then fled to Florida with the intention of traveling to Cuba before eventually being apprehended in Atlanta — roughly four years after the killing.

Assistant District Attorney Lauren Crump addressed the jury during closing arguments, methodically laying out each step Smith took to conceal his actions. "That is not panic," Crump said. "That is premeditation."

Brice was a mother to a young son and worked as a caregiver. She had been studying to become a dialysis technician. In the weeks before her death, she had ordered a gender reveal kit and was planning a party — one she never got to hold. She never learned that she was expecting a second son.

Her obituary described her as someone whose "spirit" lifted those around her. "Born with angel eyes, Dianna had the spirit to brighten and lift everyone around her with her smile, laughter, character, and overall being," it read. "Her beautiful soul was very loving and she cared above and beyond."

Source: Law & Crime